Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-28

Miss Clara Bsrton's Journey for the
Red Cross S0cie'y-Sufforing
for Want OF Seed.
Approving the Presidents Veto OF the Con
grcssioneI Relief Bill-A Matter
for Private Charity.

ago it was announced in the Herald that
the President and Field Agent of the
National Red Cross Society had entered
Texas with view to sscertaining from
actual observation the condition and
needs of the people in the portions
affected by the drouth of two years
! Their report, it was believed, would give
i clearer understanding of the facts and
more rest for anxious hearts than had
been known in many months.
Miss Clara Barton, the president, and
DR.. Hubheu, tae field agent of the sCcIe-
ty, returned to Washington to-day, and
they have brought az interesting AID in
structive account of their weeks of lur-
neyiug in the drOuth- stricken district.
Before going to Texas Miss lrton called
On President Cleveland and tod MIN the
1ject she had in view. She returns Just
II time 20 commend his veto of the Texas
SEED bill, and as the head of the great
International relief society she approves
the sentiments which the President tx
pressed IN that veto message.
MISS BARToN's STATEMENT.
In an interview with MISS Barton this
evening she made the following state
ment:
believing" she says, "that if the re-
ports we're correct there must be some
misunderstanding among the people Of
the state Of Texas in regard to the sub
ject, decided to observe for myself what
it might be and ascertain the real condi-
ton in order to determine upon the best
method Of relief. accordingly accom-
panied our field agent, DR.. j. 3. Hub
bell, 10 Texas, selected an objective point
and iourneyed by private conveyance
over such territory as would afford the
best knowledge Of the condition Of the
country and people Of the drou!h regions.
We met the latter in their churches,
sChOolhOuscs aud courtiouses and
learned from them collectively their con-
Gition. We visited them separately in
their little homes, and saw for ourselves
tie brave, patient struggle they were
making, and how little they mad to depend
upon for the coming months. 1t will be
borne in mind that when We entered
upon this obs rvation no relief had
come from the state ind none
was positively assured. Almost 20 ram
mad fallen during period of eighteen
months. Two planted crops had persisted
in the ground, and the seed wheat sown
last fall gave no sign of life. The dust
was rolling over the great wind swept
fields, where they mad hidden their last
forlorn hope of borrowed seed, and
literally heaven of brass locked down
upon an earth OF iron. Here were twenty
70 forty counties, Of 8 size commensurate
with Texan dimensions, &C.
cupicd by new settlers, making
their first efforts in the pioneer
work of developing home life in an IN
tried country, soil and climate. They
had put their all into the new home and
the little stock they could afford for its
use. They had tolled faithfully, planted
two and three times, as long as there was
anything to plant or SOW, and in most in
stances failed to get back their seed
Many had grown discouraged and left
But it is asking much of middle aged
man with family to walk cut, leaving all
ne has ever accumulated, penniless and
homeless, into the broad and not too ten
der world.
NOT STARVING.
"Were these people starving? No!
God forbid that any human being starve
in the United States of America. | can
easily perceive, however, how those &C
customed to the full plenty of our land,
! and never having seen greater want could
feel that they were starving and CRY
aloud for help, and in view of
what might have taken place, it were
well they did. But one accustomed
to see entire cities crawling out after
months of bombgrdment, captivating
from hunger, would recognize that here
was not actual starvation, but there was
great and painful want, dire and sore ne
cessity, such as no community in this
country, clearly understanding, would
for d'Y permit, surely not the great
semi tropical state of Texas, with her
millions of acres and full treasury.
"But Texas is no ordinary state; it is
literally little country by itself, where
one rides thousand miles by rail in q
straight line without reaching boundary,
and the Old quaint luxury of the tropical
fruited south realize small kinship with
the stinted spruce settlements and
Indian trails of the new NORTH
west. Such expanse brings varying
occupation, and naturally con-
f,ctiug interests-land owners, land
sellers, free ranches Of cat.lemen, small
farmers, spectators and great railroad
interests, widely scattered, seldom or
never coming into personal contact. I'm
der such circumstances, with the best Of
intentions, it would be scarcely possible
for one to see from snother's standpoint.
Hence arise sharp aud painful conflicts Of
interests and opinions.
APROUD STATE.
"TeXas is a proud state OF gallant, gen.
erous people, and when the mistake was
made of taking this sectional trouble out
side of the state for aid, in place Of repre-
senting it persistently and patiently with
IN the state, her pride wss touched and
her press few to the rescue of the
credit of the state abroad. In order
to accomplish this 1t must contradict
the statements which it thought over
drawn by others possibly as much under
drawn, and this controversy in turn
served to mislead the people at home.
Meanwhile the little faces grew long and
dark and the food short. No mortal in
tended this; all was well meant, but not
all quite wisely managed.
az al once saw that in the vastness OF
it's territory and varying interests the
real needs were not understood by the
whole people of the state, had never
reached and come home to them, but that
once comprehending them, their first
desire would be to have the trouble cared
for by themselves, and not by others out
side. | remained silent, striving to hold
oil aRor+s Of raIiaf rithin thair oUn linn